Shree Swaminarayan Temple Houston, Texas History, Hours

Houston Shree Swaminarayan Temple Inauguration:

This is the sixth temple of Shri Swaminarayan Sampraday (I.S.S.O.) inaugurated in the United States. The temple is of great importance because it was the last temple in the United States. His Holiness 1008 Shri Tejendraprasadji Maharaj performed Praan Pratishta (installation ceremony).

Houston Shree Swaminarayan Temple Date of Installation:

Solar Calendar: September 19, 2004
Lunar Calendar: V.S. 2060

Houston Shree Swaminarayan Temple History:

Satsang in Detroit began after the inaugural visit of His Holiness 1008 Shri Tejendraprasadji Maharajs to the United States in 1978. After several years of effort, the Detroit Satsangi has established a magnificent home for Shri Harikrishna Maharaj.

Yogendra Bhatt, Raymond Brady Williams and the chief representatives of the city of Pontiac arrived for the installation ceremony. Yogendra Bhatt spoke of the greatness of Swaminarayan Sampraday and the values it has brought to today’s youth. Sir Raymond Williams also spoke about the experiences he had with Maharaj of His Holiness Tejendraprasadji and the respected saints of the diocese.

The sacred procession had established the transcendental environment for the installation ceremony. As the procession approached the divine temple, the song of Lord Swaminarayan’s name became louder and louder. When the doors of the temple were opened, the devotees began to dance in the name of the all-powerful Lord Swaminarayan. When the devotees entered the temple, they continued to dance and sing the holy name. Several devotees exclaimed, “I can feel the presence of Swaminarayan Bhagwan in this temple.”

Throughout the installation ceremony, many devotees were filled with tears. HH Tejendraprasadji Maharaj felt the awakening of Lord Almighty Swaminarayan while he was performing the installation. With the culmination of the aarti after the installation ceremony, everyone knew the greatness of what had just happened. Almighty Lord Swaminarayan had come to Detroit to fulfill all the wishes of his devotees.

The Detroit Temple was a gift disguised as HH Tejendraprasadji Maharaj. Throughout his final trip to the United States, HH Tejendraprasadji Maharaj had not spoken about his last Praan Pratishta before starting the next sampraday guru. HH Tejendraprasadji Maharaj said in his last words: “I can see that the all-powerful Lord Swaminarayan in this temple looks mischievous, charming and playful, and personifies Ghanshyam Maharaj (name given to Lord Swaminarayan as a child).” With this HH Tejendraprasadji Maharaj, he left the holy assembly with the divine gift of the presence of Lord Almighty Swaminarayan.